Top Items:
Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:
Afghan security forces' wholesale collapse was years in the making — In the summer of 2011, Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV made a round of public appearances to boast that he had finally solved a problem that had kept U.S. troops bogged down in Afghanistan for a decade.
Discussion:
NPR, The Reactionary, New York Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Althouse, Japan Times and Vox
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David E. Sanger / New York Times:
For Biden, Images of Defeat He Wanted to Avoid — President Biden will go down in history, fairly or unfairly, as the president who presided over a humiliating final act in the American experiment in Afghanistan. — Rarely in modern presidential history have words come back to bite …
James Gordon Meek / ABC News:
Afghanistan's collapse: Did US intelligence get it wrong? — American intelligence sources say they correctly predicted the fall of Kabul. — As panicked Afghans watched Taliban fighters roll into the capital city of Kabul Sunday, sealing the collapse of the U.S.-backed government there …
Discussion:
The Hill, Breitbart, Fox News, Associated Press and Twin Cities
Wall Street Journal:
‘Saigon on Steroids’: The Desperate Rush to Flee Afghanistan — Kabul airport descends into chaos as Afghan civilians besiege the terminal and Western countries scramble to evacuate personnel, in a dizzying coda to America's longest war — KABUL—The lucky few were already inside …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Reuters, Mediaite, CNN, Bloomberg, Insider and globalnews.ca
Ben Smith / New York Times:
Afghans working for U.S. government broadcasters fear Taliban backlash. — More than a hundred journalists employed by the American government's own radio stations remain in Afghanistan as the Taliban take power, U.S. officials and Afghan journalists said Sunday.
Wall Street Journal:
Three Killed in Kabul Airport as Afghans Scramble to Escape Taliban — Mass evacuations follow the insurgents' capture of Kabul after a rapid sweep of the country — At least three people were killed by gunfire Monday morning in chaotic scenes at the passenger terminal of Kabul's international airport …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Politico, Washington Examiner, RedState, National Review, Mediaite, Raw Story, Gizmodo, CBS News, WIVB-TV, Fox News, BBC and Power Line
Eltaf Najafizada / Bloomberg:
Chaotic Scenes Grip Kabul's Airport, With Reports of Deaths — Panicked citizens crowd the airport in desperate bid to exit — Taliban declare victory, prepare to announce new government — Desperate scenes played out at Kabul's international airport on Monday as thousands rushed …
Discussion:
Reuters, HotAir, The Gateway Pundit, RedState and Associated Press
Sarah Zheng / South China Morning Post:
China, Russia embassies stay put in Afghanistan as US and allies flee Taliban — Collapse of Afghan government sets off evacuation scramble but Beijing and Moscow have no current plans to remove staff Chinese embassy warns its nationals to stay indoors, take safety precautions and keep …
Wall Street Journal:
Chaotic Afghanistan Pullout Caps Two Decades of Missteps — Successive U.S. administrations followed strategies that inadvertently fueled support for the insurgency and missed key windows to negotiate — WASHINGTON—In early July, President Biden stood in the East Room of the White House …
Julian Borger / The Guardian:
Taliban's Abdul Ghani Baradar is undisputed victor of a 20-year war
Taliban's Abdul Ghani Baradar is undisputed victor of a 20-year war
Discussion:
Strangely Blogged, The Daily Caller and The Daily Beast
Wall Street Journal:
Biden's Afghanistan Surrender
Biden's Afghanistan Surrender
Discussion:
The Hill, The US Sun, Breitbart and Crooks and Liars
The Bulwark:
America Has a Moral Obligation to Get Our Translators Out of Afghanistan
America Has a Moral Obligation to Get Our Translators Out of Afghanistan
Discussion:
HotAir and Associated Press
Associated Press:
“Game over:” Westerners rush to leave Kabul, rescue Afghans
“Game over:” Westerners rush to leave Kabul, rescue Afghans
Discussion:
Insider, New York Post, HuffPost UK, Salon, The Daily Caller, Florida Politics and Associated Press
Anatol Lieven / Politico:
Why Afghan Forces So Quickly Laid Down Their Arms
Why Afghan Forces So Quickly Laid Down Their Arms
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and Poynter
New York Times:
Taliban Takeover Could Extinguish U.S. Influence in Kabul
Taliban Takeover Could Extinguish U.S. Influence in Kabul
Discussion:
Townhall, Washington Post, New York Post and The Atlanta Voice
Robin Wright / New Yorker:
Does the Great Retreat from Afghanistan Mark the End of the American Era?
Does the Great Retreat from Afghanistan Mark the End of the American Era?
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, Breitbart and Twin Cities
Michael Lee / Fox News:
Jen Psaki ‘out of the office’ as Biden remains silent on Taliban takeover of Afghanistan — The timing of Psaki's time off comes as Biden has faced criticism for remaining on vacation
Discussion:
Townhall, BizPac Review, RedState, The Daily Caller, CBS News, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Washington Examiner, Twitchy, CNN and TheBlaze
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Associated Press:
Biden team surprised by rapid Taliban gains in Afghanistan — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and other top U.S. officials were stunned on Sunday by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan, as the planned withdrawal of American forces urgently became a mission to ensure a safe evacuation.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Fox News, Breitbart, RealClearPolitics, Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire, FOX 5 San Diego, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, CNN, Newsbusters, RedState, claytoonz and ABC13
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Jake Sullivan: Biden didn't think it was “inevitable” Taliban would take control
Jake Sullivan: Biden didn't think it was “inevitable” Taliban would take control
Noah Rothman / MSNBC:
The fall of Afghanistan in 2021 is the result of years of American delusion
The fall of Afghanistan in 2021 is the result of years of American delusion
Discussion:
The Bulwark, UPI, Israpundit and The Dispatch
Tom Porter / Insider:
The GOP quietly removed a webpage hailing Trump's peace deal with the Taliban as the militant group seized power in Afghanistan
The GOP quietly removed a webpage hailing Trump's peace deal with the Taliban as the militant group seized power in Afghanistan
Discussion:
Mediaite, Raw Story, BizPac Review and Maryland Matters
Richard Haass / Project Syndicate:
America's Withdrawal of Choice
America's Withdrawal of Choice
Discussion:
National Review, PRESS RUN and Atlantic Council
Miranda Devine / New York Post:
Joe Biden's defeat will echo for eternity
Joe Biden's defeat will echo for eternity
Discussion:
Insider, CNN, BizPac Review, Ace of Spades HQ, IJR, The Dispatch, The Federalist and Bloomberg
Shannon Pettypiece / NBC News:
White House weighs response as Biden faces mounting criticism over Afghanistan crisis
White House weighs response as Biden faces mounting criticism over Afghanistan crisis
Discussion:
Insider, BizPac Review and MSNBC
John Podhoretz / Commentary Magazine:
All Biden Had to Do Was...Nothing
All Biden Had to Do Was...Nothing
Discussion:
RedState, Instapundit and Breitbart
Bret Stephens / New York Times:
Biden owns the moment. He'll also own the consequences.
Biden owns the moment. He'll also own the consequences.
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Washington Post, Twin Cities, Just Security, IJR and The Dispatch
United States Department of State:
Joint Statement on Afghanistan — The following is the text of a joint statement on Afghanistan initially released by the following: Albania, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark …
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Krista Torralva / Dallas Morning News:
Texas Supreme Court blocks mask mandates in Dallas, Bexar counties — The entirely Republican court granted a temporary stay at the request of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Sunday. — Two days after a Dallas appeals court dealt Texas Gov. Greg Abbott …
Discussion:
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
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Chuck Lindell / Austin American-Statesman:
Texas Supreme Court blocks lower-court rulings that allowed mask mandates
Texas Supreme Court blocks lower-court rulings that allowed mask mandates
Discussion:
CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, Off the Kuff, Associated Press, The Hill and Politico
Claire Giangravé / Religion News Service:
Cardinal Burke is placed on ventilator days after testing positive for COVID-19 — VATICAN CITY (RNS) - A message from the Twitter account of Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, a conservative prelate and outspoken skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccine, confirmed Saturday (Aug. 14) via Twitter …
Discussion:
Mock Paper Scissors
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Jaclyn Peiser / Washington Post:
A conservative cardinal who criticized the vaccine caught covid. Days later, he was put on a ventilator.
A conservative cardinal who criticized the vaccine caught covid. Days later, he was put on a ventilator.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and Raw Story
Associated Press:
Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs — A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders.
Discussion:
HotAir
Annie Linskey / Washington Post:
From Saigon to Kabul: Biden's response to Vietnam echoes in his views of Afghanistan withdrawal — The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights — Two weeks before Saigon fell in April 1975, a 32-year-old Joe Biden was among the senators summoned to the White House …
Discussion:
Politico, IJR and The Moderate Voice
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Gillian Brockell / Washington Post:
The fall of Saigon: As Taliban seizes Kabul, the Vietnam War's final days remembered
The fall of Saigon: As Taliban seizes Kabul, the Vietnam War's final days remembered
Discussion:
Twitchy, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Trending Politics and U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan
Maria Abi-Habib / New York Times:
'I'm the Only Surgeon': After Haiti Quake, Thousands Seek Scarce Care — A day after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake killed an estimated 1,300 people in western Haiti, the country, already suffering from a dire lack of doctors, struggled to help the many wounded.
Discussion:
CBS News
Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Afghanistan Is Your Fault — Kabul has fallen. Americans will now exercise their usual partisan outrage for a few weeks, and then Afghanistan, like everything else in a nation with an attention span not much longer than a fast-food commercial, will be forgotten.
Discussion:
Fox News, Wall Street Journal and Breitbart